Whether you prefer new books or classics, fiction or non-fiction, light reading or the esoteric, and more, let the Lindenhurst Memorial Library adult reference librarians share their favorites with you.

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Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Deadly Diseases

No matter how many medical breakthroughs occur every
day, humans still are threatened by new and mutating diseases with the ability
to turn into epidemics. Here are some new books on this topic.

Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and
the Heroes Who Fought Them is written by Jennifer Wright. Filled with
details of the world’s worst diseases over time. Learn about experiences with
the Bubonic plague, dancing plague, smallpox, syphilis, cholera, leprosy, and
more, and the people who worked toward the abatement and/or cure of the
diseases. This is a very informative book with a sprinkling of humorous
anecdotes.

Deadliest Enemy: Our War against Killer
Germs is written by Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH the director of the Center
for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, and Mark Olshaker, an author of several
books about public health. Using the most current medical science, case
studies, and policy research, they describe how such diseases as Ebola, MERS,
yellow fever, and Zika threaten to overwhelm world health at large. Our overuse
of antibiotics and rapid worldwide travel also are contributing factors to the
spread of disease. After explaining all of these possible threats, Dr.
Osterholm presents a plan of action for prevention.

Zika: The Emerging Epidemic is written
by Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science reporter for the New York Times. He traces
the history of the Zika virus, which began as a minor disease but then by 2015 exploded
as a major player in Brazil where pregnant women infected by the disease gave
birth to babies with microcephaly. Contracted through mosquito bites and sexual
transmission, Zika has the potential to infect people worldwide. The author
offers information on the history of the disease, methods of prevention, and
the work being done to develop a vaccine.